The Sun. — London, England, 1826-03-10 00:00:00

e . ' ' erect to ' strivillvaritievatett And . obsolete ones--suff maintain a should propose nothing which should endanger the power of troncurrent existence, the infliction upon the former seemed to convictioo s oi: e one hand, or the liberty of the subject on the nimble the torment of Megentitts, who condemned the living Other; A i il t , t , leal.3l.o.oiffsonndocrw .s o t f oO t t i l d a e m d e a n s td wi b le y tti th e e r ,tAhecteofo ofg to die in the arms of the dead. . The second objection was, that Wtli Ity l- V:Cits entered against film in consequence of a verdiet, or tif innovation's were dangerous. . To this the respondent answered, that the same exception. might be taken against all trnprove- g sta tli nding mute, or of insisting or challenging peremptorily Wore meats tn medicine, and the rhysical as well as the constitutional than 24 jurors, or of outlawry, the law looked upon them all in any felonious offenece . since 'ereitted bodywould thus be debarred of all amelioration, the errors in the-eamo light ; but in m byliifferent Acts of Parliament, the offender was . not always both bang frefered to pass tine grepieti. The third ohjootion n liable to the same punishment • , but it was a chief and Primary wai t MS the alteration of tbelaw .wo uld t' rn i tul g es*iul l., l , a o i; object:to render him to all cares of sentence for felony, whether yen to students ; anti compel them to resort again to se n t the they were created before that Act of William or since, liable to opposing, morenver, a new charge for tort .gai n sl. th ere the same consequences as if found guilty by a verdict. The l'hafeeMe -a the lew• The Te*PPrltiell "Po: le . 1 . tex t. next head of arrangement in the.l3ill ma that of uuceSsoties might, indeed, be such new labou: if tnereweeeLtowncjo net after the facts , Aceeesoriekbeforeelte fact w,ert now triable in Dt4"4"ewtext w4°lltlCd4C.4 i ' ( 17/ 41Ct ' e°l*inP o n disencumber her the county where . isle offenee'Strebaoultetitted, or in that where the 'subject 'of , change—it was on., prOPOsed sect eee . e e ought apprehended. The inconveniences of the la .v as related. to theftth 'Wale e law of game 'obseletS , ,PliTts , • -- f - 1, to f ollow accessories after the fact, was strongly exemplified in the case low the. sciences, but the sciences oog It books a oho. of the late, robbery at Lord Cowper's, for which two persons 'books,: The plan suggested was to clear t l i t le ltc is 1 Jews were executed; and the accessory after the fact was tried fuel iete and' aleeping statutes,i ities ; and acquitted, first at Hertford, and then at the Old Bayley, but such as chose a ft 4ii t t n g it u e the and Jatembards.. They might he preiserltetl eax e c t,bie 1, , ws, s e nd escaped because it Was not proved whether lie teas an acceseory for NOTOt of them might be substituted T AI Or the p resent before the fact in Hertfordshire or in Aliddl ewe e but its the sueloae were agreeable to . the circurnetaoces _ _ e ft'► d 1 dben kn wn to have received part of the booty ch advantage o en rr ta e o Orate. Concurrent statutes might also with mo proposal made to James subeequently, in the county of Surrey, he was tried and found be reduced to a single one. To the prop 1. fientlenutn wou ld told a ater guilty on an indictment. su framed, but -nut until he cost the the First the Right Honourable t' the Howie, as contained public in the expends of his several prosecutions , the cup's authotiu—the deliberate judgment o general revision of the Statutes MOOS sum of 4201. It was now propoeedenremedy this defect, it/ t4t' 1)(T q c ' t. 1796' when s lundertaken under the by making the law reach the offender ..: either liteintliettnent in at; eecommeetdeti by t h e Crown, tint 1... 7 , d berjeant the country where the roan became an a l or where he suoction of Parliament by Air. Finch, 'Mr. Prynne, a 1 w troy d t 1 o taste received part of the plunder. The pleases i ted le a Committee to co n so lid a te the Statotes. AS 1 e . . . , ',lc ter, eppo n . - formation of an to the competency . of jurisdiction, often too netounted to a 'lilts was the boo instance recorded otter the Re lel the Statute Law, and the question had total denial of puttee. In the cases of inisdemeanouree the Otterript. to new-mot fra eel' et . ed for a hundred years since it was OrivionslY agitated ; law was defective in leaving the ex sates to be de ). ~ atombere • rried into effect. The Right lion Gentleman the charge of individuals • who were often too poor to prosectite it .watt never c a rried 11;)ST bTPO- The • Statute% in cases of the gravest nature. He would only inteanen'the ght on the same su b ject in 11126._ . . . cases of . with ., . , , . hictehad reference to the crime of theft, he conceived to he of paremoont importance. Other crime* no doubt were or equally heinous offence on a child, when if the parties parcels deeper'. melignity ; but the number of those committed for were poor, the oflender nine tunes in ten escionti through the theft, made that crime of the utmost importance in legiela. unwillingness of the parties to rote the risk or a conviction at 00114" If he succeeded in coneolidating the statutes of lar- an expellee so formidable, in addition to the lacuna reluctance e wer; :iv . would be the first part of a regular code. Accord- of the parties to submit themselves and their misfortunes, to ing to returns in the year 11125, there had been 14,437 criminal become subjects of public notice by a trial in a crowded Conn. committale. Of these 12,530, that was to may, 6.7ths of the In cases of null-adminhoration by an officer, the prosecutor must entlientlitrnber, catne within the provisions of the Consolidation pay the whole expence, as .had lately neen brought under his Bill, comprehending charges of burglary, horse-stealing, hir e notice in titc case of .11r. Sydney Smith, an active Alagittrate of cent', itheep;stealing, and robbery, under the value of 40 Ail- Yorkshire, who, in consequence of prosecuting an Weer who IsingeOnomraitted in is douse. The proportion of committals had very shamefully miscotititicted himself, had beet) put to an for other crimes was quite trivial rte compared with those for unavoidable expellee of 801.—(11 ear h imself, was intended tu be theft. Only '22 persons were committed for arson, 94 for mur. remedied. Indeed it would be of great advantage to the pub. tier, and 122 for manslaughter. To take the relative proportions he, that the prosecution of crime should not rest or remain with of Committals for the last seven year's, 2.11. were for forgery, 11l individuals, but with a public and autitorixed prosecutor, tat murder, 50 for anon, 43 for perjury; and how astonished through whom public justice would with dignity be vindicated, would the House be to learn, that no lens a number than rather than private revenge grati fi ed. It was intended to 43,000 had been committed for theft. Title statement was reserve to the prosecutor a power, in vane of these cases, enough 'to thew the importance anti necessity of commencing to modify the lotlictinent so, that, though the offence with their legislative measures with the crime of theft. It would which the person was chargeable wto. it capital felony, the perhaps be objected that however important the required change ? offender should only be liable, if convicted, to transportation. in the law. it was yet impossible, as it 'timed at tile consolida. nor did lie anticipate that in thus moderating the severity of tion of no fe'wer than 92 statutes. Such an increase, of course, our penal code, he either should be exposed to the imputation defied all attempts at concentration. Now he would say that of lessening the security of property, or attecked by writers dais Bill' embraced every material enactment within 32 pages. who in other instances hail resisted' proposed alterations of the The two first pages were empluyed for the repeal of unneces. existing laws, as 'savouring of innovation. A great difficithy Nary Ant, and 30 pages comprehended all that was to be the was often opposed to a conviction when there could beno doubt law. Pe -account for the extension of the statutes to so large A as to guilt, merely through technical informalitice, as for in nutnber as ninety-two. Since the reign of Henry the Eighth, :stance, when a man who had live or six Christian and surnames,' he would observe that they were severally enacted, not uoo; was not accurately described, or when the depth in inches; of genr•ral principles, but upon the occurrence of particular cases, the wound, or the sort of instrument with which the wound w as Bnch Member of Parliernant proposed a Bill according to the Inflicted were not shewn in the indictment with legal and snit czlitincy which had conic 'within his own knowledge, and each lotions exactness, the offender, though a murderer, wit% acquit. having a peculiar predilection for the Bill proposed by himself, tett upon the mere i I einwsnality, mid even a judgment itself he was remitided of a story told by Mr. Burke, who meeting a I was often vitiated, because there had been an omission of Member in the lobby, Inquired what husinc-s Wes before the the terms " Vi et ormit," or IA ifrofert per raeortiam," in :liouse,. and Was answered that it was only a Bill relating to the that legal document. lie confessed h e would be ha ppy if general canedtution. The Right Honourable Gentleman pro- the House should be of opinion with Ilion that, as the title must posed to extract the matter of antecedent statutes, and as he have a preamble, and that it was desirable a preamble should ,could better explain himself by *adducing particular cures, explain clearly the object of the Bill, the House should adopt than by general reasoning, lie would thus illustrate his pion as a preamble the beautiful passage of Lord lisle, in speaking The stealing of madder roots was prohibited by sum Act which of this subject, which states that Whereas from the great an. prohibited frauds in the City of London, and which regulated willingness of prosecutors in cases of capital indictments and the the conveyance of sugar in the %rest Indies.—(A laugh.)— exceptions made in favour of the life of a person capitally in. There were 20 statutes against steeling various timbers, such f dieted, more venoms escaped than through any conviction in the as maples, thorns, quicker's, &c. Another Act was for the I mincle of their judges of their innocence, whereby many mar. better ensuring of fees on customs, anti regulating the fees of : derv, robberies 'and other unseemly offences escaped punish. eMetes in Senegambia, in Africa —(A laugh.)—lle hoped it i mane to the great st i aoue of good Governments anti dishonour . woeld, not be deemed improper to transplant those trees in a of God."--(Hear, hear to e -If the House should be of this rutere congenial soil. lit the Pith of George the Thirst there • opinion he thotight lie would be able to present them with nose g ot matinee—one c. :10, making a certain crime a felony, ;a la which should be little liable to objection. Whilst on and the her c. 411, making the same crime a inistlemeattoor, l• titre s übject he must say, that he had never been of opinion will; e penalty of 20t. The latter statute he considered it vir.. l that it could be fairly said that the facility which our laws af fil tip tat of the former, tool the Gentleman who proposed the forded to the escape of criminals ought to be us ground of pane. Bill, tanild not have been aware of the previous enticement. lie gyric. Yet he must confess he should be very sorry that the now came to his :second proproltime Otte, clause of his Bill practice were introduced here, 'sow prevalent in Prance, where consolidated twelve MAILIIOI AgllitOtt die receivers of stolen goods', the accused was compelled to a confession ; and the President or And, here too the Statute's were numerous, because of their Judge himself was accustomed to draw out, by ingenious quest. enactment upon particular instances. There was one statute tions, proofs of criminality--and, by adopting the character of to, prohibit the stealing of lead, - another against the stealing of t en eager advocate, disqualify himself for discharging impar pewter e third to prevent the turtling of jewels, antha.fourth , tially his subsequent duty, when he came to pronounce sentence to punt ft the theft of bank-notes. By the )fill now before the ,in the character of a judge. In cases of misdemeanours, which House, it was provided dint lf any person was found guilty of often were liable to highly penal consequences, he intended to receiving lead, pewter, , jewels, or any other thing, knowing introduce a clause to give ,it power to the Court to grant the . ettern to he stolen,. the stealing of which was by ON ,or any prosecutor's expo:ices. These crows, he intended, should be of other 'donne of felony, the receiver should upon such convic. course specified particularly; and 14 that specification he had thee I;ii deemed guilty of felony. Witeriver the stealing of an no doubt the liOnee would think hint perfectly warranted in srticls watt a fetorty, it was but fair that the receiving of it, inserting the two cues of assault, with intent to commit rape with it knowledge that it was stolen, should be felony also The or to abuse a child. The Bill would also clearly define the Bill next went .to remedy the law.as it now stood, and to sup. power of Magistrates to adroit to bail which hattonginnlly been ply Its oniissions. By the law It %NANA great offence tweinumit regulated and limited by the Statute of' Edward the rim, arid a robbery in reetty.furineltedleelging—butottrionte tosay, it was now required to be eimeolidateti, as there was a variety of enact. no offenco„at ali to commit (mein a reedy-furnieled house. Ina mons on this subject scattered through a wide field of legiela- ' late care the Chit! Juliette or the Court of King's' Bench ex. don. Ile felt it was now high time be should apologize f o r pressed hi* regret that the state of the law did-not permit him to having so long intruded on their patience—(Cheeno—and some pant sentence on a criminal who appeared beforo irint, because Might think very - probably that it was presumptuous, in IMP . the offence with which he was charged was committed not in fi st s who was no lawyer to intrude himself into a reform-in our [tatted lodgings, hullo ifurniehed house.' Again it was a serious laws which required ell the aids of experience and mores. offence to steal nab from a river, which ran through or in the Nina attaininent.—(Cheent.)—Prom the circumstance of his grotied . of 'mother s but no offence to steal from a river bounding being called byhis Majesty to fill the high officer he now held, land. ! Anti yet in very many instances rivers bounded the lends he had been qualifjed to approach the , subject in some degree of prottrletors ; and if despoiling rivers of fish were a punish- by his experience, end by daily, be , might mid homely. obser. able uffenctS 411 'the two former tinges, It ought to be one In the Mimi of the urgent' necessity of some revision of this part Inst. The House wits perhaps weary of these detail s .: --(11eliT, of our law. It' he 1..1td been left to himself and Ids own.oppor. lose I)—As to embezzlement by servants of their masters' pro. tunities of observation, perhaps the task had been unattempted. petty, the law was extremely defective, for it was necessary for But he had the hnportent advantage of beingnitled by the tech it master to prove the specific nature of the coin embezzled be. nical knowledge of several men of high professional attainment fore he could convict hits meant of the fact. If a servant re. and experience. The Billy which he was about to Introduce cldred 10e. to deliver to his imetter'e debtor in change for a 11. had been drawn up by the eseistance of the sane Gentlemen who note, he could not be prosecuted for the embezzlement of the assisted in &awhile up the Jury Bill, Mr: (hewn, a Barrister, note. A charge of embeeeling 1014. would not lie against him, who had the advantage of great experience in this departnunn ter he had not embezzled lbs. Neither could his master sue. and Mr. lloblunise, with whom he had the good fortune to be Web a charge against hint for embezzling the note, because the aeitocinted in his office. The Bills also hail been revised by most OW was never the property of the toaster. All these inan e . of the Judges, and he was particularly gratified to acknowledge veciencies and defects were removed by the Bill; which also the cordial support and kind obligations conferred on him by snittgeted tbe crime of embrzzlement. By the existing minutes, both Justictet tiolroyd• and Bayley, hut more particularly by it . wee a felony i by the 'Olll, only a misdemeanour. The the Chief Austice of the Court of King's Bench, who had gone clime was made upon this consideration I dust is cases of .over the Bills, line for line almost,. and suggested many im . felony no more than one act could be proved to a Jury ; and in portant alterations and considerations. booed he must say, general, Juries entertaining a doubt whether a sinle instance that from ell Alie Legal Profession he had experienced the Intel riot be the result of mistake, were rattier er inclined to ac. utmost encouragement, which might in itself be , sufficient to squit the prisoner. The crimee however, being made a mlstle. refute the vulgar impression on ill-informed mind,* that there weapon s * it was by, thepreseut Bill, any number of acts might was any disposition on the part of the Profession to coon tee be priced tioa Jury. hiconsititently enough, our law made it fiance or perpetuate the errors or negligence of our exi s t., a i'neric to titettl property . which was vested in our own funds, ing laws.—Wear, hear I) -He should Leave these 11111* to the *bile it tookno . notice of theft Committed' in foreign funds.— House for the purpose of 'being examined, satisfied with the Th,i:, cvji,also.,w4g cOred 4 the Bill. It also rendered criminal gratifying relb.setion, that 411 bringing them forward, he Ina this . stettling of title dee.4, and what were termed ins 'legul sought only the honourable distinction of having been desirous, Orme thaw in action, thongit absurdly DO crime by our law. whilst lie tilled hi* lama situation, to mature and improve_ ;Potts of the nets newly made felony by the Bill were sithjected this part of our voluminous legal enactments, which in his mind sueephal pun(ishmen)t, nee were treated with ultdOitieventy.— would prove a solid ground sat gratification toltimself if eccorn. Quidteuties were considered as part ore dwellingehouse, if any plished, as being one of thine valuable and real memo's of 144671 0 a faUrtilittication existed between than. The Act of high official station, of which us just and honourable mind might hat 4ON$Ioo tiOalog to the robbery of gardens was repealed.— be bleineleettly ambitious.—(Loud cheers.)—fle intuit corifeas . (llestr t)-.lt Was C(:Ttz,litlly hArd that A mchoolboy, for a thought. be was ambitious of associating his name, m the future history CO Art-, ititould be rustle liable to seven years tratisnortetion, of the efforts of this enlightened :gee, with the reform at i on In featlist Act by its sent ity, diminished the security of pro- and permanent improvement of the law. The Right lion.. se= petty, for 411001 persons were unwilling so prosecute under so cretary then moved—" That leave be given to bring in a Bill penal a statute. The hill allowed Alegistrotes to exercise a for consolidating and atuending the laws relating to larceny,' and d;scretion in 'discharging au offender in the first 'instance, upon the offences of steeling or einuezzlin property, set well ii% con ps.yintist of the damage committed, with a small gee, H e cealing the same.--{The height l ion. I:emitAnon silt down hoped the Right Honourable Secretary for Ireland would move amidst heed cheering.> the Mouse to extend the provisions of the Bill to that couetry e Sir Al. W. RIDLEY was happy to 'tail the present neition Attic/wig to the progressive increase of crime in this cOuntry, as an earnest of future iinprovernents on a more extensive scale. which- be thought it would he .100114 pride to conceal, l ie lie hail bee n particularly dextrous. that, for the sake of 't (wk. saidf that in the seven ' year s preceding 1816, there were shire, which had so great an interest In the growth and breeding in England and Wales 47,620 commits a. -For the seven of hotees, and that these Llillishould have embraced the subject years preceding 1023, there were 10,200 .cominittale. I gor the of purloireng and traneporting . horses to foreign countries. seven, years precediug 1816, 4,100 persons had been tried fo r Mr. N. CALVERT was desirous that a distinction should be capital admen i and 8,`200, for the like period preceding drawn in the t un of misdemeanours, which often-were the 1423. • Notwithstanding the great Increase of population in means of confining persons in a gaol fur a length of time, end j A aadon, its committals bore no proportion to those of the pialtiug them familiar kith the detail of crime and the persons) 1•. of the (Amery. The cummittills in bondon for the seven of criminals. f eel preceding fillfe die not exceed 1,018 o end in the like Sir R. WILSON wished childottenllng hod been inclined, o a d oefere 1623 were iset' more than 13314 Crimea* via.. 14. DICKINSON objected that all the expenses in wises cif , teed highway. rottbnre went on the tlecreese. In 1793 prosecution tier Injuries to personal property tell rts a charge on ~6,1r0 Were eye Nin o eaminittals.' hum 1826 wily 165; In the ' the land, through the medium of the County hates. , 1 144 ; 1786 r.it (I 1701-there Weee , 1311 executions to London, rind Air, C. Wit..SON hoped that the Hight. lion. pendent:in - 011 bia die last three years only 30,- being Inure than 101) l ow would include the , power to grant costs in ell cases of eeieults wis ', , a ot vtalT4 Ottigv, mentioned., lie believe,! the , with intent to commit fel ony. theft iPs,,,P 4 '-- - " f bltf that f the . ' Al' I OCK ' .O p ower o else constrt e VI) I 0 L :local . T. ~ HART agreed with' the Right non. Geutletnan, mere trtuin4 ll Ab `th e , sil ',a t h is nia be made that tall . frAtti‘ wouw , , r over on 1 ~ tore proceedings In caeca of; indiconeots aught - to 45 rnagio to.ithei obis icis i s , h a d I tse t eee , uotwithshoahlg the simplified, awl he hoped that the suggestion o r the Right Hon. r.„ lll „„,,,, Pga t t ; popaaion .and : dun 'increase of clinic.. How. , lientleman would be acted on in securing . us a more effective. , ``""" - " --2 Our o,ieht be 'on We hiereaset it was net be "'erred Pr e , "Pkive Polite. This might be done bye:following up the old. are ; crone - - rt - 7 ..., the r a ilurov - twevioni experiment& .pleneelne of ,thc lew with re )e i unite ' ' ` ' el et to the ot swot./ t,IA ' who , . the in conacquetice Lic se ustiate, the design 14) ; reduce the :mintier of lopnFriy Pe enjoyett something of magitteriul authori y * lint Of Oh b 141- -- - cap ital mitliOup4ot should, Or might to be ' tairlPi?v d e• ' ' There there . Witt no , corporation tile` • only way of our laws indicting cap I - ',i,' . °deli 'to Mete these changer., meemig the increase Of crime Wars by enlarging, the powers of wkaodontvi. lie should no w pr wi r oduced as astir and judicious 'this officer, as far us referred co the prevention of aline. e l beek he thought enitgb t 1 -/ .t i r aw be found that be - Mr , AIiERCUOMBY perfectly concurred in the opinions ' doe. laws, *lnt .Lto bel ties o .0 1 - .. so generally given in favour of the proposed alterations in this department of the criminal law. - It had been said that in the kat 7' years not less than 8,000 persons had been capitally con victed, of which, doubtless, but a small proportion had been executed. A large proportion of oirentes'agaiust the peace and also against private property arose out of the Game bows, and, as far as respected this branch of crilne, - 'he hoped. the Right Hon. Gentleman' would not fail to include a revision of the ex haing la*. . . - - - • - ' • '- -. : - ... ' . ' • Sir JOHN SEBRIGHT was perfectly convinced that most critninali in the country Might date the commence ent of their criminal conduct to being in the first instance engag lka pOtel*, fif,„ ing, which he therefore thought was a . erime *hie ugli tVW ' most sedulously repressed by the vigilance of the Legislature anti the Magistracy. 31r. SYKES thought - that Costs ',lima be riven also in cases of misdemeanours to poor pro ,!tutors, in the same way as in cases of felony. 31r. CH ET 11' Y N I) agroed in. the propriety of granting costa I in cases of misdemeanours. He begged to set the lion. Aim ber for Southwark right as to the offence of child stealing, wkigh was punishable already in the same way as other eases of grand larceny. 31r. ESTCOURT denied that the origin of our increased calendar of crime.; was attributable to the frequency ofoflences ag a inst the Game I uws, so much as to the peculiar condition of the poor in tiro present state of society. The cluirge of pro secuting in cases of serious offence% fell on the county rates, which he coul/t not help representing to his 3litiesty's Govern- ment and the House as an actof very serious injustice. •• - - .11r. Alderman 'BUY PG ES believed the increase of crime was to be attribuiedin a great degree to the abject condition anti immorality, Of .11te lower orders who paid no attention to the care or instrOctia 'of their offi(pring ; and it would be desirable if the 'Right thin: Gentleman could devise alone means of pre venting.improper associations in the large towns of England amongst the younger classes, by dovising some means, for em ploying them in the houses of their parents.—(A laugh.) 3lr. Secretary PEEL, in reply, observed, that it was his in tention to introduce a pro Vision, in the course of next week, for a material alteration in the law relative to the entreat of recog nizances, in cases where persons are bound to give evidence— which he thotight a case of very peculiar hardship, in many in stances. principle in Iveislation. If the original motives to an Ac: Of Parliament end ceased to exist, that was no reason, if the Act was now found to be practically beneficial, why it should be repealed. The whole question was, whether non-resident voters after the law had permitted the exercise of their rights, for eightylearsethould now be disfranchised. This was a ques tion not confined to Ireland ; it extended also to this country. If the House wr,s prepared to say that this principle should be adopted in Ireland, they must be prepared Also to ailopt it i england. He did not agree teeth the reasoning n' Right Ke rr Barone which would estalelleit a' d, \ b , Kettle . Iv of the o heel Wieners and thßsof tii di he st it to reps 1. ' leit tit tißeehl gran ti age Omelet (Oa eta, swoon. f respectability and character usually resided in the t was, as the most secure- places of refuge; but as civilization advanced,. persons of this description no longer con tined themselves within such narrow limits. The Act a ow. 11. had been rendered necessary, because a great number of persons, qualified to exer cise the rights of burgesses had ceased to reside within the pre cincts of the boroughs. -nut there was still a stronger reason evhy he must oppose the motion of the Right lion. Baronet. In Many boroughs, the majority of the present electors might , for any thing they knew, be non-residents, in sonic, perhaps all the electors. If they were now to deprive theneof their franchise, who Were to succeed them it s voters? Even if not objectioaable in principle, nothing could be more inconvenient than to make such a change now on the eve of a general election. The question was one which would at any time require mature con federation, but certainly at present he was nut prepared to ac quiesce in the expediency Of agitating it. Mr. S. It tet supported the motion. Mr. PLUNKETT opposed the motion. His Right Hon. Friend had fallen into a mistake either in law or in tact. The question was not between the existing charters, which required residence, and the Act of Geo. If. which dispensed with it ; but between an Act of 10th Henry VII. and that of Geo. 11., and he presumed that the Legislature at that time considered the restrictions unconstitutional, as they tended to abridge, and not to extend, the elective franchise. Many of the charters of James 11. were unconstitutional, and were afterwards modified by tOrce of the constitution. They made residence a necessary qualification of the elected, us well as electors. The Act of Geo. 11. had beers in existence 70 years, and many persons were in possession of rights under it. The repeal of that Act would operate retrospectively; and powers now enjoyed, and unimpeachable would be rendered liable to question. It was quite trite dint those who had enjoyed their ftanchises for six years, would, by virtue of the provisions of another Act, still retain unquestionable possession of them ; but what lie would ask, what was to become of those who had not enjoyed the elec tive franchise for so long a period ? Ile trusted the House would pause before it adopted a principle to affect an existing body of electors without any means of measuring its extent. — In sonic Corporations they might perhaps disfranchise the whole body. The Act of Geo. 11. had passed forty years previous to the Union. And at the period of the Union, the selection of boroughs which were to send Members to the Imperial Parlia. ment, was made with reference to the number of voters gene. rally without distinction of resident or non-resident. lie ob jected to the proposed Bill, therefore, not only on an account of its peculiar_ inexpediency at the present moment; not only upon principles of general policy, as it went to abridge the elec tive ftunehise ; but also, because it invaded individual rights, and opened again an arrangement made at the period of the 1./pion. The Bill having already been twice before the House, was, be thought, a strong argument against it now. _Mr.MARTI ' N (of Galway) chnracterized the Act of Geo.ll. as, the most disgraceful incident in die Parliamentary history of Ireland. Perhaps the House generally was not aware of the eircometances connected with the passing of this Act. An Honourable Gentleman, whose name he would not mention, and who, possessed great influence in the Irish Parliament, had made a swap of one borough far that of Newtown, and then finding that it would be convenient for his purpose to intro. duce bis-butler and other dependants as voters for his newly acquire&borough, he prevailed upon the Irish Parliament to pass this Act, to proclaim all the monstrous falsehoods of the preamble. It. would be competent for the House when the Bill was introduced by his Right lion. Friend to add a pro viso, to save existing rights. And, as to the approach of a General Election, the operation •of the Bill might be post. poned till after that event hail takes) place. Ile thought it would be treatment less respectful than his Right lion. k riend was entitled to expect, if the House refused him permission to bring in, the Bill. It had been much the fashion to impute interested motives to Gentlemen meting front Ireland. He would appeal to the Attorney-General, whether every Judge in the Court of Error, or the erroneous Court, he did not know what they called it, had not In the great Galway cause declared that the Newtown Act had nothing to do with tialwxy. It was akar therefore that he could have no interest in the propose I hill. He reprobated the practice ,of refusing leave to bring in bills. He was perhaps a little sore, as lie had been refused the Other night, on the ground, too, that he was pursuing a systetn pr petty ilegiabstion. It was not thought petty legislation to punish men for stealing a pocket handkerchief. It was at least equally deserving of punishment to steal the tongue of a living animal. The Honourable Member then proceeded to give a artandiebfipale concludedteriejr.repress such bu with r ba4 a u t 11 0e rt delinquencyi thatot, wae th n e ota minute anatomical description of the latter instance of theft, main pettyw li who bus a e l h a t tu t i o . Legislator.o C. I l whateverl ' C 1 1 1 I li IgNh might .0 b Ne said would aboutil a lgil l hel w eht a ihi: y ialit s tielpsr t iee h lnasi i ttr n ere, k ondd. hhuroci motives,wrn lei introduced. r r , t i o li oli s i ;- protecting the interests which sent him to that House. He did iii n of o o t t u l i l e d entire! o l i , t o b t c e e subject, coincide strange i o n n li t i h e e v a l i t s: e w i a t m s u e A leimtintett under the gallery, whose niaminneedw:fieto%(t.ialds one learn, replied, but was inaudible in the gallery. Sir JOHN NEWPORT explained. lie was quite aware that for whatever purpose the Act had been that had never been the subject of serious deliberation. Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and the House then divided— Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. The Right HMI. SECRtTAIIV then moved for leave to bring in a Bill relative tothe punishment or accessories after the f►►ct, a►ul the expenen of prosecuting for misde►ueanours, which was also grunted. STEAM VESSELS. The LORD ADVOCATE Of SCOTLAND ruse to make hi s promised motion for bringing in all to regulate Steam Vessels itl Scotland. His object in this was to put it stop to the frequency of accidents in tldsdepaiunent of the Packet Service. It was intended to restrict the command of these vessels to ex perienced seamen, and also to regulate their relative legal po. sitinns in passing each other when on the coast, and he had no doubt that the House would concur in the propriety of his ap. plication. Ile then moved for leave to bring in the Bill. ,H IJJI E opposed the motion for leave to ',ring in the Bill, which lie feared would only tend to cripple and fetter in. dividual exertion, and limit the permission to mavigate these vessels to parties, whose eli g ibility to command, must, afar all, be decided and determin e d by the public. Sir HENRY. PARNELL was equally indisposed as his Friend, to submit any Bill of regulations on the subject. • Admiral HA It VL V suggested the propriety of enlOrcing on board these vessels, the same regulations with respect to the yielding on the larboard tack to the vessel which was meeting her on the starboard tuck. Mr. SYKES opposed the motion, on the ground that the law of self-preservation constituted a sufficient motive to vigilance and care. The LORD ADVOCATE insisted that it was necessary to the public interest, as well as to that of the owners of steam. vessels, that public rules should be enacted. Jf such rules had been promulgated previous to the melancholy accident to which he had before alluded, that accident would not have occurred. He said that owners and the public were both unanimous in their wish for legal regulations. Sir J. NE Wl'OlIT observed, that if the people of Scotland could not manage their steant.boats us well as they,•were managed in the other parts of the kingdom, the ,better remedy would be to pass an Act prohibiting steam navigation in Scotland, leaving the rest of the kingdom free. Sir C. COLE supported the motion. The clinstrous occur. rence of the Comet was to be escribcd to the want of such regu lations. • The gallery wan being cleared for a 'division, when Ale. CA N NINO ruse and : Maid that he must vote for the mo tion, it it woe only on account of the long catalogue of griev- , once:4 of which Scotland it Seemed had already to complain.— ( Loud laughter.)—lf this 11111, intended for the protection of the people of Suotlatid,- were to be rejected at the very thresh hold of the house, it would be one item to be added to her pre sent:long catalogue of grievances.—(l,aughter.) Mr. UM and Mr.IJOJJHOLE severally recommended the lion. anti Learned Gentleman to withdraw his motion.— The Ilouse.then‘diiided— For the Motion - - 70 Against it .ti Majority —44 LOCAL JURISDICTIONS IN IRELAND. , Mr. S. RICE. after a few introductory observations, moved for leave to bring in a Bill for " the more effectual exceution of the law in cities and towns corporate, and other local juris dbqionS in Ireland." 'Mr, 00111,BURN, without intending to oppose the intro. auction of the Bill, was yet apprehensive that many objections might appear against it in the future stages. An indispensable condition of any such measure would he that it did not interfere *lO l A ny existing corporate rights. , lie would' reserve any fur ther observations till the Bill came before the House in a more matured shape. Mr. C. HUTCHINSON briefly supported the motion. ' (of Galway) stated that he knew of many ex ,TN which he would not more particularly mention. as they were such as would readily suggest themselves to all per s ons acquainted with the . nature of local jurisdictio n s. De lays had also taken place in the registration of freeholds, arising from the same causes. Many instances of this bad fallen under his own observation. He begged leave to correct a misconcep tion of what had fallen fmm him on a former evening respect. log the toils collected at Tuam. 11 e.had not spoken of the tolls now collected, but of those collected formerly. These tolls had been reduced from 700/. per annum to 120/. Mr. F. LEWIS hoped that sonic means might be found' of rendering the Bill so unobjectionable as to admit of its cation, not to Ireland only, hut also to England. Ile had had the misfortune to live within A localjnristliction in Wales, anti had seen enough to convince him of the necessity of some measure to remedy the defects anti abuses incident to such jurisdictions. Perhaps additional Mugistrates could be a p. pointed without giving th em p ower in the chamber of the Cor poration. Mr. WARRE highly approved Of the Bill. Il e h o p e d i ts success would be such as to ensure the extension of the example to England. The whole subject of local jurisdictions must, of necessity, undergo revision. It Involved most important con. siderations with respect to the sate of prisons. '[hose under local jurisdictions were generally so &mulles nut to admit of the necessary classification of prisoners. lie hoped the Bight Hon. Gentleman (the Secretary for the Home Department) would take the whole subject into his serious consideration. Mr. S. RICE replied.—Leave granted. NON-RESIDENT BURGESSES. Sir JOHN NE WR POT.rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal an Act by which it was provided that th e r i g h ts of Non-resident Burgesses in Ireland should not be questioned. The Act was that of the 21st of Geo. 11. c. 10. sec. U. Irish Statutes. The Right lion. Gentleman here read the preamble of the Act, which recited that inconveniences had been expe rienced front the want of a sufficient numberof - Protestant inha bitants in many of the towns corporate of Ireland. Since the .passing of that Act circumstances had in that respect entirely changed. The repeal of the , Test Act, as affecting, Prote st a nt Dissenters by the A ct o f 1780, had alone made a material change. Upon the subject of the Act of 1780, he knew that great misconception prevailed. It was only two or three years ago that a Cabinet Minister had told hint that his chief reason for resisting Catholic Emancipation was, that it must lead tip the repeal of the 'rest Act. It was only with great difficulty, and utter a reference to the Act of 1780, that the Cabinet Mini ster could be convinced that the Text Act, so far as it applied to Protestant Dissenters in Ireland, had been already repealed._ The repeal of the Test 4-Ict had removed, in a great degree, the y grounds for thi s ac t as s t ate d in its preamble. The A cts f or t h e relief of th Bm e oan Catholics from disabilities und er w hi c h j the previously labouret, had also operated to nullify the reit- Inning upon which the Act of George 11. was founded. It could not he,pretended, that in the towns of Belfast, Dumgold, and Newry, in all of whiCh corporate offices were at the im am time filled by non-residents, there could not be found re .sident burgesses t u su ffi c i e nt numbers. He could h ave no in surelyy teresst irneptrieiesensutecd a city, cestiof awl had established his seat i n thatthi present motion, becaus e b e fm or. n Hom! by the exclusion of nonresident voters. The Act, for the repeal of which lie was about to move, was a bl ot i n I r i s h Legislation. Mr. GOULBURN said, that there could be no necessity , for lony disclaimer of interested motives on the part of the Right Hon. Baronet. Of any such motives he would fully acquit But. nevertheless, he was not prepared to concur in his 'iptide. The effect' of the proposed Bill would be mischievous, inasmuch as i t wou ld ten d, to curtail the number of Magiatrates which it was generally thoug h t d es i ra bl e to extend. The sole argument of the Bight lion. Baronet was drawn from the pre. amble of au Act passed 80 years ago. This h.a thought a bad Foi the Motion Aping it • • Majority —3l: Sir J. NEWPORT moved for leave to bring in a Pill to pre vent Episcopal Union, and restrain the granting of dispensation. The lion. Baronet explained that the nature of this Bill wax to deprive the Bishops of the power of uniting one benefice to another, and enjoy the emoluments ari s in g f ront t h em . On a former occasion last year the Hon. Member for Lowth. who was well acrivainted with every thing relating to the subject upon which he had grounded his Bill, informed the House of a tact, and In his opinion one fact was a sufficient precedent to prove the utility of this Bill. He stated that a Bishop had united no less than five parishes, and had increased his emoluments to'an amazing extent, by this union. This he (Sir John New port) contended was unfair, because many able and efficient Clergymen were of a consequense deprived of benefices. His Bill was to prevent any Bishop, who possessing a her.efice of the sum of 300/., took another oneohould be obliged to forfeit his first benefice. It was unjust, that upon his being promot ed to another benefice, he should retain the former. GOUT nuRN did not wish to retrain the Bon. Ba ronet from bringing in his Bill ; but at the same time he could assure him that he had one in his hand upon exactly the same principle. COMMITTEE ON PRIVATE .BILLS. ; Mr LITTIZTON begged leave to submit some sosolutiona to the consideration of the House upon the subject of constituting Committees. He hadintentlecl to have done this last Session, but he did not regret. the time that had intervened between that period and the present, as it had given hint an opportunity of revising them. The present plan of appointing Committees was ordered by the Speaker 25 years ago. Before that period a Bill (whether relating to the improvement of roads, making canels, or any thing else) was submitted to a Committee of Members serving for t!.lat part of the county, and adjoining parts which the Bill adrected. There was nothing more desirable to be attained upon this subject than the prevention of any undue bias either fin' or against the subject of the Committee. Ile had suggested last year, that any Member who presented a Bill, and was fearful of any Member who might have a prejudice against it, might petition the !louse and Valise the name of that Member to be struck out of the list of the Committee. The I I on, Mem ber for Yorkshire had suggested at the same period that any Member who felt dissatisfied at the proceedings of Cie Corn. mittee could petition the house for a re-committal of the Bill. He (Mr. L.) should propose that the Members of each Committee should be chosen by ballot in the . same way as at all Elec. dons. He would also propose that the Committee should be authorised to award costs against the frivolous appellants,— By the word frivolous he meant those Members who from mo tires of private interest or preju against the M over o f t h e Bill prevented its progress throl the House. lie did not s l / 4 111 deprecate discussion, but he watt 1 at present move (merely pro luring* the reading of the first resolution, and to adjourn the discussion upon it till Wednesday next.—The resolution was then read and ordered for a second reading on Wednesday next. Lord A. II AM ILTON thought that if the fi rs t Resolution was a type of those which would follow, th e y were ca l cu l ate d to be of very little service in altering the present pl an o f Corn-, mittees. It appeared to hint that the Resolution was calculated rather to try the merits of a former Committee, than the subject on which the Committee had been appointed. The Noble Lord expressed his thanks to the Hon. Gentleman for having brought the measure forward. Lord A 14THORP said, this would not be 4 Committee to try the merits of a former Committee. Mr. S. WORTLEY was not disposed to censure tile conduct of the Committees of that House, but it was desirable that the lif:mbera should do the business of Committees properly, and with a knowledge that a check was banging over them. : The Debate was then adjourned to Wednesday. COMMUTATION or PUNISHMENT roil FORGERS Mr. It. MARTIN expressed a wish that the subject of which he had given notice, might he taken up by other and more able hands ; and with that view the Hon. Gentleman postponed bir motion. Mr. GOULBURN moved for lea Xng i Bill to , i‘ itr amend the la of Ireland respecting th . b - atuting - f , tene ments. The — NtliLlote. OthOnan a - LAO ve tv hrintuAlSl4to‘stiVed ItiNaw respectin stkut pas( in Ire d. BUTTER TRADE. Mr. C.•ORA NT moved that a Committee' be ,appointed to inquire into the regulations of the Butter Trade in Ireland. AIL II UTCII I NSON objected to going intosu crspaste exa mination in the absence of the Butter Interest in Ireland. Sir 11. PARNELL was not desirous of hearing any cs-pirls evidence. Mr. C. GRANT said a few words in reply. The motion was then agreed to, and the Committee no• Minuted. The Second It eatlini of the Bribery at Elections' Bill was postponed, on the motion of Lord J. IR' ssE r.r. to Monday nex'. BANK CHARTER BILL. Mr. LUSHINGTON proposed that the Bank Charter Bill should be read a second time for the purport of tilling uP the . blanks. Air. J. S3lllll objected to any alteration of the Bill in the then state of the House. Mr. HUME also opposed the Bill. Mr. H. GURNEY wished the principle of the Bill to be car. vied into effect, but he thought it impo,sible the Bill, with clauses it then contained, could answer the intended purpose. The llill was then read a second time and ,committed for Tuesday next. The Report of supply was received, Led 'dm liesolutiop read and agreed to. The Bank Deposits Bill was read a second time. M r. HUME asked why the Bill should not come into opeis:. tion immediately ? As it stood, it was not to come into oper4. , tion before October. Mr. LUSH INGTON said, the Hon. Member might movie an amendment in the Committee. The Bill was then committed for tomorrow.—The Hullsr then adjourned at a Quarter to TWELvE o'CLoc LIST OF THE 3IINORITY Of 38, who voted for Sir .1. Newport':;4 Bill ai;aing Non.resi. dent Voters in certain Boroughs in Ireland. Anson, Hon. Geo. Heron„ Sir It. Ridley, Sir ol Monel. W. Allen, J. H. Hobhouse, J. C. Robarts, C Althorp, Viact. Hutchinson, Hon. Ricktbrd, Wo'. Baring, Sir T. C. H. Russell, Lord J. lienett, .1. Knight, R. Robinson, Sir G. Calvert, N. Martin, It. limbo% C. E. Colborne, NAV. R. - Macdonald, J. Staunton, Sir G. nundas, Hon. T. Monck, J. B. Smith, J. , Fitzginbon,Hon.R. Newport, Sir J. Tierney, ROW:., Graham, Sir S. Palmer, General Williams, W. Gordon, R. Palmer, C. Y. Wood. Alderman 'toward, Hon. H. Parnell, Sir H. TELLERS. Hume, Joseph Poyntz, W. S. Rice , T. S. 1 Hamilton, Lord A. Phillips, G. jun. Orenfal., P. FRENCH PAPERS. [From the Flak, dated Wednesday, liforchij PARIS, MARCO 7.—The Chamber of DOW° met yesterday in a Secret Committee. It is 0 1 that M. Boucher develop( d his motion,concei ve in the following terms : ;Ace " Every Deputy promoted by the Government t o en „ held at pleasure, shall cease to be a Member of the Chambe r '. Among the Deputies who spoke against motion, Messrs. Chifflet, Boisclairant, Dad Ses. maisons are mentioned. The motion was sup; ported by Messrs. De Leyval, Jankowitz, an B. Constant. The President of the Council rep lied to Pt Hyde de Neuville. The Chamber then voted on the motion, whit, it was rejected by a very great inajorilj. It is not true that the Duke de Chartres is V; ing (as the Quolidienne asserts) to be pre‘ e r : t the Coronation of the Emperor of Itu ll ' a - • Moscow. It is not true (as the tens ) onslitutionne Pre „ hi d that the Eloile has had to rectify the news 1 ' given respecting the band of 11.1zan. brothers Bazan were taken, as well PS "'f ive this Colonel Selles, and 21 were revolutionist , • do not yet know the fate of the other 19 'Aka n with the brothers Bazan. Selles and five others have been killed. Wf' hear of two new Nesseniennes by De ; one on the Greeks, c""Viseti at Naples, which he has read at the rrt.i , c" "' bashador's at Rome; the other called Clu iscoph e ' Columbus. (From the Quondienne of Tuesday.> COO' PARTS, MARCH 6.—A general subject of versation this evening has been the Secret Cr; mittee of the Chamber of Deputies to cuss the motion of M. Boucher. The Speak e, tf were Messrs. Rode!, Humbert, de Sesma ilon 'i, Iteveillere, Hyde de Neuville, B. Constants It is added, that the speeches of Me s , l „ r i Reveillere and itodot, in favour of the moth h . proposition, produced much impression 0 " t to Chamber. It is a ffi rmed that a Deputy 0 0 °, 5 the Tribune a similar proposition made in 1 8 1 1 ; by M. de Villele, then Depuly, %which gr e t h ; embarrassed the Minister. The result rejection of the motion by a very small Majorll4:- FRENCH FUND9.—PAftIS, MAnctt Five 961: loc.—Three per Cents., 85c.—Bank StoSs- Rente de Naples, 71f. 40c.—Royal Spanish Lon, 41 `;,c0f , change on London, o ne mont h, 251. 60 c . ; three mon l 2bc.—(cours Anthentique.) MESSRS. SIKEq, SIK ES AND IVI": S3°S BANKRUPTCY .—YeSterdll; being the " y i tit till s e pointed for the extra proof of debts, t h e cre.- • ° ti r o to the estate met in considerable numbers mall' Commissioners of Bankru As' Court, Uating" - a it R. street. The Commissioners ' were, the Non' ;, - ,, 5 , Eden,Jolm Pensam, and Nathaniel Claylanti's46net The assignees, Messrs. Wray, Ad arn t f4 rid a - ec Powell. The balance sheet exhibited at the o • - ,,,i. meeting, has not been at all improved by 111 : e t - er litional claims put in against the estate in ° win e d val. Theoutstanding debts are computed to° to ' 350,000 L; to meet these are genera l tissetil 'ho the amount of about 200,0004 l securities shall ultimately realize the " lae i ca troviding the which they were estimated when this ha d l al 0 , was struck. This deficiency has cre ate set small degree of surprise, as no satisfact°l.uss off has yet been exhibited, and the bu ill s ;fe of the hank was supposed to h ave been o f a v e. character. A great number of the rreditorsoast long to time clerical and legal professions: 00070 the latter is M r . J us ti ce Littledalo, wimo ef this for a considerabl e amoun t. The wi ild-uP, 0 „,,,01. investigation will t a k e place on the '2th 011" A few • evenings age, the iIOUS O Of Mr 't %PAS LEY, h ginger-beer manutarturer, 139, Sum)°, r i ng . urgla Heusi y entered, and a quantity of 1. 0 41 opparel carried off. The thieves having di g l; some bottles of fermented liquors which !er g it alarmed the inmates, a nd the introu e '" led obliged to decamp before they had fo il,' effec their purpose.